Machine for pressing garments



J. B. SPENCER.

MACHINE FOR PRESSING GARNIENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l5, 1915.

1 ,326,982, Patented Jan. (i, 1920.

l 2 SHEETS VSHEET l. #F

)Wirren/vnf J. Bl SPENCER.

MACHINE FOR PHESSING GARMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE I5. 1915.

l ,$26,982. I Patented J an. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIII.

M/T/v as.' l l E Nyc/vra@ Hwy/6% UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

JAMES B. SPENCER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORII, ASSIGNOR TO 'UNITED STATES HOFF-MAN I MACHINERY COMPANY, INC., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW Yoan To all rwhom zt may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES B. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county 4of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements-1n Machines for Pressing Garments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in machines fort'pressing garments and other fabrics and is similar in some respects to that shown in the patent to A. J. Hoffman, No. 928,199, issued July 13, 1909, in that the garment is moistened, shaped and dried in one and the same operation by the simultaneous application of steam and mechanical pressure thereto through the medium of' two pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the otherl about an axis parallel with and some distance to the rear of the pressing elements.

The present improvement consists broadly in providing a machine of this type with means by which the drying of the garment is greatly Iaccelerated by the use of a suction device for the purpose of instantly withdrawing any steam or moisture of condensa tion with which the garment or buck may 'be saturated after being subjected to the simultaneous application of steam and mechanical pressure. i

The main object, therefore, of my inven tior is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive suction device which'may be made as a unitary 'part of the machine and operated by steam from the same source of supply as that which is used for moistening the garment.

In other words I have sought to produce in the same machine the necessary suction for instantly withdrawing the steam and -moisture from the garment and pressing elements by causing a jet of steam, controlled at will, to be projected across the end of a suitable suction pipe communicating with the perforations in the press plate of onel or both of the pressing elements so as to accelerate the drying of the garment and also of the pads or press cloths which may cover such perforated press plates.

Other objects and uses relating to specificl parts of the suction device and its connection Specication of Letters Patent.

MACHINE FOR PBESSING GARMENTS.

Patented aan. 6, 1920.`

Application filed .Tune 15, 1915i Serial No. 34,180.

.with which the suction device communicates.

Fig. 41 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a modified form of suction device in which the same jet of steam is passed through two co-axial nozzles extending across the adjacent ends of the suction device leading to the suction chamber of the buck for producing doublesuction by the same jet of steam,` or in the same operation.

Fig. 5- is a transverse vertical sectional view of a clothes pressing machine, showing a'further modified means for admitting and withdrawing the steam 4to and from the buck.

The machine illustrated comprises a buck -1- and a press head -2-, the latter vbeing mounted upon a vertically movable rock arm -3- which is hinged at -4- upon a portion of the main supporting frame -5- to swing about an axis parallel with the longitudinal centers of the 4buck and head and some distance to the rear thereof so as to J leave a clear open space entirely around the marginal edges ofthe buck for spreading a garment thereon when the head is raised preparatory to pressing.

The buck is. shown as provided with noncommunicating chambers .-6- and -7--, serving, respectively, as a heating chamber' and a distributing chamber, the chamber 95 e6-'being supplied with steam for heating purposes through a main supplyA pipe -8- having a branch -9- provided with 'a noz- 'zle -10- discharging into a waste pipe l the garment, the moisture of condensation which lmay accumulate in thev chamber 6-` openedat will by any suitable means, such .produced in the chamber -7- will act through the perforated plate and press cloth directly upon the garment for withdrawing any steam or moisture of condensation from both the garment and press cloth or pad.

thereby accelerating the drying of the same instantly following the -simultaneous application of steam and mechanical pressure to such garment.

rlhe steam which is constantly present in the heating chamber -6- serves to keepthe head in a heated condition at all times to further facilitate the drying and shaping of being drawn olf at .intervals when necessary through a drainage pipe -19-.

In this machine, the steam for moistening the garment is also introduced ,into the distributing chamber -7'- through an inlet --20-- which may be connected by a pipe 2lto the same source of steam supply as that to which the pipe -8- is connected, the supply pipe 21- being provided with a self-closing valve 22"M adapted to be opened at will by a suitable operating meml A baille plate -2ll extends across the inner end of the inlet-20- to distribute the steam across the entire area of the perforated press plate 17 so that such steam may be applied uniformly to the garment while the latter is under mechanical pressure by the downward movement of the head '-2- in the usual manner.

In some instances, I may desire to withdraw the steam and moisture from-the garment through the head instead of through the buck, as previously described, and for this purpose, I have provided another steam supply pipe -25- which may be connected to thegsame source of steam supply as the pipes -8 and 2land is provided with two branches 26,- and -27 leading, respectively, to non-communicating chambers -2-8- and -29- in the head -2-, the chamber -28- being in constant communication with the source of steam supply for keeping the head in a heated condition to accelerate the drying of the garment, while the branch -27- is provided with a suction nozzle 30-, similar to the nozzle iaaasa opened at will by a suitable operating mem ber -35- to permit the passage of steam through the suction nozzle -30- for creating a greater or less degree of suction in the chamber -29-.

The press head -2- is provided with a perforated press plate '-36- forming the bottom of the suction chamber -29- so that when the valve 34- is opened the suction produced in the chamber -29- will withdraw the steam and moisture from` the garment and also from the press cloth or pad while the pressing elements are in their pressing position, thereby effecting a quick drying of the garment, it 'being understood that when the valve 34- is opened for producing suction in the chamber -29-, the valve -22- controlling the steam supply to the garment will be closed.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the suction nozzle '-10- as discharging directly into a secondary, but somewhat larger suction nozzle -10-, which in turn discharges into a waste pipe H-11--, said suction nozzles being connected to suction pipes -13- leading to dierent portions of the suction chamber -7- and taking the place of the suction pipes -13-, so that one jet ofsteam passing through both nozzles produces equal suction in each ofthe pipes l/ The modification shown in Fig. 5 comi pressing element through w ich the steam The nozzle --45-`- discharges into an out- A for example, a lever -50- and separate operating members as pedals 5land r 5E- connected thereto.

Itis now clear that by opening the valve -l47-, steam will be admitted through the nozzle -45- and pipe li/L- into the steam chamber 4.2- of the buck for distribution tothe garment for the purpose of slightly moistening and sterilizing the same during the pressing operation, and that by opening both valves -47- and -4f9, the

steam will be directed through the Vnozzle -45- into the discharge pipe 4S- thereby producing sufficient-suction in the pipe 44r and buck to withdraw all the steam and water of condensation therefrom and discharge it through the, pipe 48- which may be connected to any waste pipe, not shown.

This latter construction is particularly advantageous in that it simplies the piping system, by reducing the number of parts and enables the device to be applied to any existing machine in which steam is supplied either through the buck or pressl head, it being evident that the same device may be applied to the press head if the steam is admitted therethrough to the garment.

What I claim is: y

1. A garment pressing machine having a steam chamber communicating with the space between the pressing elements for supplying steam to a garment in said space, a valve for controlling the passage of steam to said chamber, a steam-operated suction device connected to said chamber for removing steam from said garment and a valve for controlling the passage of steam to the suction device.

2. In a machine for pressing garments, a steam distributing system having means in cluding a normally closed valve openable at will for applying steam to a garment in the machine steam operated means forming a part of the same system for withdrawing the steam from the Garment and a normally closed valve opena le at'will for controlling the passage of steam tosaid withdrawing means.

V3. In a garment pressing machine, a steam device having supply having a normally closed valve openable at will for controlling the ow .of steam thereto.

5. In a machine for pressing garments, the combination of lower and upper pressing elements having internal heating chambers, one of said elements having a steam distributing chamber, steam pipes leading to said chambers, one of ysaid pipes having a normally closed valve openable at will, a steam-operated suctlon device having its pressure side connected to one of said pipes and its suction side connected to the distributing chamber, and a normally closed valve openable at will for controlling theA passage of steam to said suction devlce.

6. In a garment pressing machine, a buck having a heating chamber and a distributing chamber, the latter opening to the exterior of the buck, steam pipes leading to said chambers, a steam operated suction its pressure side connected to one of said pipes and its suction side connected to the distributing chamber, and

sav

a normally closed valve controlling the pas` sage of steam to the suction device and openable at will.

7 In a garment pressing machine the combination with a pair of pressing elements A adapted to be drawn together to press a garment, one pf said elementshaving a foraminous surface, of a steam distributing system having means for applying steam to the garment at the pressing surfaces and said steam distributing system including therein a suction device for wlthdrawlng moisture from the garment through the pressing element having the foraminous surface.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of May, 1915.

JAMES B. SPENCER.

Witnesses H. E. CHASE, Amon M. CANNON. 

